Verbandsabzeichen-Arm Shields of the Bundeswehr

[Gordon Craig]

Dave,

So the pictures of your arm shields don't get lost, I 've copied the picture and posted it here. Thanks for providing it.

Regards,

Gordon

[acmer]

Seems that understanding translator language is harder than learning german

The arm shield is worn 4cm below the shoulder seam on left sleeve.

Foreign troops in german service (training or such) have the Germany -badge on left sleeve instead of flags. I'm not sure on which side they have the arm shields, probably on right.

German soldiers in service of a foreign or a multinational unit wear their arm shields on right sleeve and apparently below the flag. This seems to be common in most countries.

Exception to rules seem to be when an arm band is worn, which is a quick strap-on insignia holder

[Gordon Craig]

Acmer,

Thanks for the update. There seems to be a lot of fluctuation in where the Verbandabzeichen is actually sewn to the sleeve regardless of regulations. The shield on the great coat I posted is 6 cm from the shoulder seam. A tunic I received today has the Verbandabzeichen 5 cm from the sleeve seam. Both arm shields are machine sewn to the sleeve and not through the lining.

Regards,

Gordon

[Guardian 5]

Gents - Attached find a c.1976 guide to Heer & Luftwaffe Verbandabzeichen scanned from a government issued BRD pamphlet titled Die Bundeswehr.

At that time, Heer divisional patches always had white with black cross-hatched borders. Brigades subordinate to the division had white, gold and light red borders. The Home Defense Commands were always bordered in green.

There was some considerable variation in how the patches were constructed. I once heard that Heer officers serving as military attaches in Asian countries such as Taiwan and the Republic of Korea were encouraged to have patches made up locally at low expense and distribute them freely upon their return to the BRD. I don't know if there is any truth to this, but the Verbandabzeichen in my collection do show some variations in quality.

As the Heer downsized over the years and new units were organized in the former DDR, the Verbandabzeichen changed considerably from those shown in the illustration. Some disappeared completely. Others, which once represented divisions, later represented mere Brigades. Completely new designs, usually based on the Wappen of newly incorporated Lander in the east, also appeared and have already begun changing. Just something else for us Bundeswehr lovers to keep track of....

acmer's collection shown above illustrates this quite well.

Take care - TJ

[Guardian 5]

Gents - The following excerpts from the 1999 edition of Der Reibert show how the Verbandabzeichen have evolved in the post-Cold War era.

TJ

[Guardian 5]

Gents - Some more examples.

As an aside, I'm on the hunt for Verbandabzeichen for Panzergrenadierbrigaden 40 - 42. If anyone wants to set up a trade, please send me a PM.

Thanks - TJ

[acmer]

I have Der Reibert too, I just don't remember it very often It has Horst Köhler in it so it's probably post-2004. You can clearly see that many badges are not there anymore.

Page 11

Page 12, 13

I don't have a scanner so the quality is not the best.

Sometimes there are "handgestickt" versions of arm shields in ebay. I thought they were like some other items: you can wear them even in combat if they are approved and not government property. It has been a while since I read about it, but I think you were allowed to have white striped shoulderboards if the jacket and the boards were your own and the unit commander allowed you to wear them (or something like that). In issue-clothing you had to wear the black striped versions.

Nice to know that there might be variety in hand-made badges too.

A page that I use regularly: http://www.rk-limburg.de/rklm/die_bw...pengallery.htm

[Gordon Craig]

ACMER,

I am a little confused by your talk about shoulder boards. What were you trying to say?

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

I have done up a chart identifying the arm shields shown in ACMERs colletcion. The information in it is accurate as far as I know but if you spot a problem please let me know and I'll chack it out and make changes where necessary.

Regards,

Gordon

Identification of Verbanabzeichen shown in the photo below. To help locate and identify individual items I have used two different terms. Columns across the top and Rows down the side. To read the printed information select a column and read down the row from top to bottom.
For example; Column 1 Row 4 is 12 Panzer Division/Veitshöchheim - March 1961 to 10 April 1993
Column 1
Row 1: BMVg Bundesministerium for Verteidigung
Row 2: Sicherungs- und Versorgungsregiment im BMVg mit silber-schwarzer Umrandung. Das Regiment wurde 2002 aufglöst. (Disbanded in 2002.) Auch das Wachbataillon trägt dieses Abzeichen. (The Guard Regiment also wore this badge.)
Row 3: Das I. Korps - Munster
Row 4: 12 Panzer Division/Veitshöchheim - March 1961 to 10 April 1993
Column 2
Row 1: Wehr Bereichskommando IV in Mainz
Row 2: Terrotorialkommando NORD in Mönchenbladbach
Row 3: Das II. Korps in Ulm
Row 4: 14. Panzergrenadierdivision "Hanse"/Neubrandeburg
Column 3
Row 1: Das Wehr Bereichskommando V
Row 2: Territorialkommando OST in Potsdam/Eiche
Row 3: Territorialkommando OST zum iv. Korps
Row 4: 13 Panzergrenadierdivision in Leipzig
Column 4
Row 1: Wehr Bereichskommando VII in Leipzig
Row 2: Terrotorialkommando Schleswigholstein in Keil
Row 3: Heimatschutzbrigade 42 "Brandenburg" in Potsdam/Eiche bzw. Kleitz
Row 4: 2 Panzergrenadierdivision/Kassel HQ

Column 5
Row 1: Wehr Bereichskommando VIII in Neubrandenburg
Row 2: 2 Panzergrenadierdivision - Panzergrenadierbrigade 4 - Göttingen
Row 3: 2 Panzergrenadierdivision - Panzergrenadierbrigade 5 Homberg/Efze
Row 4: 2 Panzergrenadierdivision - Panzergrenadierbrigade 6 Hofgeismer
Column 6
Row 1: 5 Panzergrenadierdivision/Dienz (HQ) division disbanded 1994
Row 2: 5 Panzergrenadierdivision - Panzergrenadierbrigade 15/Koblenz
Row 3: 5 Panzergrenadierdivision - Panzergrenadierbrigade 14/Neustadt/Hessen
Row 4: 5 Panzergrenadierdivision - Panzergrenadierbrigade 13/Wetzlar
Column 6
Row 1: Heimatschutzbrigade 56 in Oberhasen a.d.Donau
Row 2: Heeres Unterstützungskommando - Munchengladbach & Koblenz
Row 3: Schule der Technischen Truppe/Fachschule des Heeres für Technik in Aachen
Row 4: 1. Gebirgsdivision - Panzerbrigade 22

[Gordon Craig]

ACMERs arm badges as referenced above.

[acmer]

What I was trying to say was:

I read somewhere that you have the army gear, clothing and insignia. You can also have your own stuff, as long as it looks pretty much identical. You can wear army or your own insignia on army clothing, but only your own insignia in your own clothing.

It was something like that. I can't find it anywhere anymore so I'm not certain how it was exactly.

If it was like I said, maybe the hand-made arm shields are for tailor-made uniforms (which you have paid for yourself).

[speedytop]

Hi acmer,

What we don't understand is: "you were allowed to have white striped shoulderboards if the jacket and the boards were your own and the unit commander allowed you to wear them"

Yes, you can wear "handgstickte" (hand embroidered) Verbandsabzeichen, PzGrenBrig 11:



The regulations say 4cm below the shoulder seam in the middle of the shoulder board. But you can find up to 7cm, without any problems.

Uwe

[Gordon Craig]

Acmer,

Thanks for the explanation of your comments. Lots of arm shields are designed and produced by individual smaller units, and worn on their uniforms, with the COs authority. Nothing else is required. This extends to manoeuvre patches etc. that are only worn for a short space of time. This is even more prevalent today with the deployment of the BW to Afghanistan.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Here is one of the newer authorized unit patches. It is for Luftmechanisierte Brigade 1 in Fritzar. It is on a woman's tunic that I was unsuccessful in winning but great for reference purposes.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

The arm shield.